April 2024
April 2024 was, surprise surprise, yet another very changeable month weather-wise in this area, with temperatures fluctuating wildly from -3c to +16c, and just about every type of weather experienced, sometimes even in the same day! Towards the end of the month, it did finally start to look and feel like spring though....
Overall it was definitely colder than average for April, with the higher mountain tops seeing regular fresh dustings of snow, and the leaves, flowers and insects seemingly very reluctant to appear, with the scenery still having more of a wintery look than a springtime feel, but fortunately we did not experience any really extreme weather, and overall , although it wasn't perfect, it was a pretty decent month for wildlife watching.
The days really are lengthening nicely now though, with around 14 hours of usable daylight, but dawn (for the Black Grouse lek) is now a slightly less sociable 5:30 am, so if this species is on your 'wish-list', be prepared for an early start...
Although many of the winter visiting birds had departed by mid-month, the ever increasing influx of summer migrant birds north into this area helped bird species day-lists creep ever higher, and 50+ species would not be uncommon on a full day local safari, or considerably more if you include a visit to the nearby Moray coast, whilst full day mammal species day-lists can creep up towards double figures, with early starts usually providing best results for the shyer ones.
The dawn chorus is at it's best in April, and it is always great to have your early start rewarded by getting to enjoy hearing the resident birds being joined by the newly arrived migrants like Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Tree Pipit.
Add to this the first brave butterflies and bees on the wing, the explosion (eventually) of spring flowers into full bloom and frogs and toads on the move, and the feelgood factor of this time of year is hard to beat...
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| Early spring in the Cairngorms National Park |
To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are considering a future April visit, I hope the following more detailed information, illustrated with photos taken at sites in and around the Cairngorms National Park, and sometimes further afield, by myself, my friends or my safari clients this month and in previous April's will help....clicking on the picture enlarges it to full-screen.
All photographs of wildlife, especially Schedule 1 and other protected or vulnerable bird species shown on this website were taken legally at long range with powerful zoom lenses, or from my vehicle on public roads, well away from nest sites, and no disturbance was caused to any wildlife....
Local speciality/upland bird species seen regularly during the month included:
Black Grouse (at, or soon after dawn only), Osprey, Red Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Slavonian Grebe, Red-Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver, Goosander and Dipper, with a couple of decent sightings of Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle early in the month... and just a few brief glimpses of Crested Tit and Crossbill......
Snow Buntings were seen at low level sites early in the month, and after a fresh fall of snow, but seemed to retreat high up to the mountain tops, when the snow line receded...where Ptarmigan can also sometimes be seen...
Winter visiting birds were represented early in the month by a few remaining family groups of Whooper Swans, flocks of Greylag and Pink-Footed Geese, wildfowl such as Wigeon and Teal, and a few lingering Bramblings, Redwings and Fieldfares , but most had departed by mid-month...
Summer migrant birds flooded in throughout the month, with the first sightings this year of Osprey, Wheatear, Common Sandpiper, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Tree Pipit, Redstart and Cuckoo, to name just a few...
A good variety of seabirds, waders, wildfowl , Divers and Geese can be enjoyed at the Moray Coast and the nearby inland lochs...
Mammal species seen regularly included:
Red Deer, Roe Deer, Rabbit, Brown Hare, Red Squirrel, and Feral Mountain Goat, whilst Mountain Hare became a little trickier as they morphed into their spring coat..and both types of Seal were seen at the nearby Moray coast...
April 2024 bird sightings in more detail:
On the lochs..
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| A picturesque local loch |
One of my most eagerly-awaited wildlife moments every year, is the return of our local Ospreys to their nesting sites, and these impressive birds of prey are always popular with my safari clients, with their dashing good looks, large size, aerial acrobatics and spectacular plunge diving to catch fish. Many of our local pairs were reunited by mid-month after a winter apart in West Africa, and were soon seen building up their nests with sticks, chasing off intruders and mating frequently, and by the very end of the month some of the hen birds appeared to be incubating eggs as the cock birds began to perform all of the fishing duties, whilst the females presumably carried out brooding duties.
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| Osprey on the nest |
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| Osprey with a part-eaten fish |
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| Osprey with fish - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Mating Ospreys by Jan shields - Photo from April 2023 |
Now the local lochs are (finally) no longer in danger of freezing over, some of our highly prized local speciality water birds are back on their summer breeding territories, and we managed to see some of the most attractive and rare examples regularly this month - namely Slavonian (Horned) Grebe, Red-Throated Diver and Black-Throated Diver, all in their splendid summer plumage.
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| Female Slavonian Grebe |
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| Male Slavonian Grebe by Ron Mitchell |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver by Ron Mitchell |
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| Black Throated Diver |
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| Black Throated Diver by Ron Mitchell |
Also on the lochs (and rivers), we must not forget our breeding Goldeneye population , and we were fortunate enough to see them regularly this month, with many of the dapper males still performing their unique and spectacular 'head-banging' mating display!
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| Female Goldeneye |
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| Displaying male Goldeneye by Ron Mitchell - Photo from April 2019 |
Up on the moors....
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| A local upland heather moorland |
April is definitely THE month to see Black Grouse, and dawn (now around 5:30am) visits to local Black Grouse leks usually delight and amaze my safari clients with as many as 8 blue-black cock birds seen 'performing' in spectacularly aggressive fashion, their incredible bubbling and whooshing sounds drifting across the moor, and late in the month, we are sometimes lucky to witness the hen birds walking among them, watching the action, and presumably 'rating' the contestants, only around 20% of whom will 'get lucky', and previously we have even been lucky enough to see them mating with their chosen partner - a truly fantastic wildlife spectacle and a great way to start the day!
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| Lekking male Black Grouse with females watching |
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| An important day at a Black Grouse lek |
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| A very unusual and rare shot - from April 2019 - of a Black Grouse up a tree |
Please be aware that Black Grouse lek sites are very rare and precious and can easily be ruined by selfish behaviour, disturbance and encroachment - we have lost 2 previously well-established sites locally due to poor human behaviour in recent years - And I was shocked to arrive at one site at dawn in mid-month - where we view safely from several hundred metres away - to find a 'photographer' literally standing on the lekking area, having spooked the birds away!! Unbelievable!! I took photos of the 'intruder; and his vehicle, and reported the incident to the Police Wildlife Crime Officers, and they are dealing with the culprit.... but lets hope this incident hasn't ruined the lek, and did not prevent breeding taking place this year, as the females only visit the lek for mating for a few days each spring.....
Our local moorlands continued to echo with the characteristic cackling calls of the cock Red Grouse, many of whom were seen still actively displaying from raised positions, with red 'eyebrows' aglow, presumably 'guarding' their territory and nesting female, and from mid-month I saw very few hen birds, suggesting that many may already be incubating eggs.....
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| Male Red Grouse by Luke Vial |
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| Female Red Grouse - Note the impressive camouflage |
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| Male Red Grouse close-up by Luke Vial |
In the forests...
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| A local Caledonian Pine forest |
In the Caledonian forests, Crested Tit sightings became much more difficult to obtain this month, with one or two birds seen using forest feeding stations on the colder mornings, but generally they were pretty elusive, seemingly quietly going about their business breeding.....and I should point out that you really need to be familiar with their 'chuckling trill' of a song to have a realistic chance of seeing them... but I usually plan a short Caledonian forest walk in order to give us a chance...
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| Crested Tit by Luke Vial |
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| Crested Tit - Photo from April 2023 |
It is well worth noting that the colder winter months (October-Feb) are actually the best time of year for seeing the 'wee Cresties', as these characterful little birds can be frustratingly secretive, unobtrusive and almost silent during the breeding season, with sightings being much more difficult to obtain between March and September....
Continuing the forest theme, unusually, we actually did ok for Crossbill sightings this month , though most of them were of the typical and rather annoying fly-over variety, we also had a couple of better views, and (unusually!) on the 14th, 18th and the 24th, we even managed a few photos, when birds perched obligingly for a few seconds!
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| Female Crossbill by Luke Vial |
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| Male Crossbill by Luke Vial |
Please note that Capercaillie numbers would still appear to be alarmingly low, they are now very rare and elusive, possibly on the brink of extinction, and I would only rate our chances of seeing one on my safaris as "very slim" at best, and we are now requested not to go in search of them, for fear of disturbing them.....and please be aware that Police Scotland and the Cairngorms National Park Authority Rangers patrol 'known' Capercaillie areas for the first few hours of light throughout April and May in an attempt to dissuade anyone from entering the forest and potentially disturbing the birds during lekking season.....with prosecution an option if you fail to heed their 'advice'....you have been warned....
https://cairngormscapercaillie.scot/lek-it-be/
On the rivers...
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A local stretch of the River Spey
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It was noticeable that there were increased occurrences of male Dippers seemingly delivering food and additional nest material to the now well hidden female birds at their nest sites , usually underneath bridges or under high , overhanging banks...and we also witnessed a few instances of rival males having territorial disputes....
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| Dipper |
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| Dipper |
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| Dipper with nesting material by Ian Dennis - Photo from April 2023 |
We also saw Goosanders reasonably frequently on local rivers this month....and the first Common Sandpipers have returned too......
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| Goosanders |
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| Common Sandpiper |
Up in the glens...
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A picturesque local upland glen
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Up in the local glens, it is worth noting that bird of prey sightings usually become less frequent during the longer days of spring and early summer, with many of the female birds nesting and many more hours of daylight available for hunting meaning that our chances are reduced. However, we still managed reasonably regular sightings of Osprey, Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Peregrine, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk, and also a few views of Goshawk, Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle, and on the 23rd, we finally got our first sighting of a Merlin this year...
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| Common Buzzard by Ian Dennis - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Goshawk by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Red Kite - Photo from April 2022 |
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| Golden Eagle - Photo from April 2022 |
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| White Tailed Eagle - Photo from April 2022 |
On the marshes...
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| Insh Marshes |
Although most of the winter visiting birds have now departed, a few lingering Whooper Swans and 'Grey' Geese could still be seen, and the numbers of waders such as Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Lapwing increased steadily throughout the month.....though raptors were seen less frequently than during the winter months with just the occasional sighting reported.....
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Whooper Swan |
Up in the mountains....
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| Early spring in the Cairngorm Mountains |
Although I did not walk up to the the summit area myself this month - the Cairngorm Funicular railway is still out of action!!!! - Visits to the ski centre car park early in the month, and when the snow was still down to lower levels, gave us some good views of a few lingering Snow Buntings, but they seemed to retreat high up to the mountain tops as the snow line receded....
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| Snow Buntings |
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| Male Snow Buntings |
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| Female Snow Bunting |
Those that do walk up though, can occasionally can get some decent sightings of Ptarmigan as well, with this species also now morphing into their summer plumage...though they are definitely less abundant these days....
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| Female Ptarmigan by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2018 |
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| Male Ptarmigan by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2018 |
At slightly lower levels ( but still generally at 1,500ft/450m +) newly-arrived Ring Ouzels - sometimes called the Blackbird's mountain dwelling cousin - always prove to be popular with my safari clients, presumably because not many will have seen them locally, as they tend to breed only in remote upland areas well away from human disturbance, and can be quite tricky to find. We are fortunate in having plenty of suitable habitat for them in this area though, and we are often able to get decent views and sometimes photographs of newly-arrived male and female birds .....
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| Male Ring Ouzel |
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| Male Ring Ouzel by Ron Mitchell |
On farmland...
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| Typical local farmland |
Wader numbers increased throughout the month, with Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew and Golden Plover all noted, and a visible influx of passerine birds such as Meadow Pipit and Skylark , ready for breeding season...and a few lingering winter thrushes were also seen....
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| Curlew |
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| Lapwing |
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| Sky Lark by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Golden Plover by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2018 |
In local gardens...
Although our garden is not quite as 'busy' as it was in the winter, as well as the expected selection of Sparrows, tits and finches, we still had regular visits from a large flock of Lesser Redpolls this month ,with a few locals also reporting the odd Blackcap coming to their feeders....with the activity also attracting the attention of a Sparrowhawk on several occasions....
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| Siskins and Lesser Redpolls |
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| Male Sparrowhawk |
Lingering winter-visiting birds seen in our area this month included:
A few Whooper Swans, Grey Geese (Greylag and Pink-Footed), Redwings, Fieldfares and a few Waxwings ..though these are all likely to depart this area soon....
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| Fieldfare |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
Other good/scarce birds seen/reported locally this month included:
A Greenshank and a small flock of Black-Tailed Godwits at Boat of Garten mid-month, a Nuthatch near Kincraig on the 21st, and the first returning Whinchats on territories in Badenoch from the 22nd....
A few photos of more common birds seen locally this month:
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Mallard family by Ian Dennis - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Redshank |
Adventures 'out of area':
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| The Moray Coast |
The Moray coast is only about an hour drive north of Aviemore, and trips to favourite reserves, lochs, bays and harbours gave good views of wintering birds such as Greylag Geese, Pink-Footed Geese, Whooper Swan, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Black-Tailed Godwit, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Knot, Golden Plover , Grey Plover , Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Curlew, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Long-Tailed Ducks, Eiders, Divers, and Slavonian Grebe, with the chance of rare/scarce birds such as American Wigeon, Green-Winged Teal, Tree Sparrow , Grey Partridge, and rare gulls.....
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| Rock Pipit by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Razorbills by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Grey Plover by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Shag by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Male Red Breasted Merganser by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Fulmar by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Oystercatcher by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Black Guillemot by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
The freshwater lochs and nature reserves just inland from the Moray Coast can be productive too....
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| Loch Spynie |
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Tufted Ducks
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| Ring Necked Duck by Steve Nicklin - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Male Wigeon |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Little Grebe |
April 2024 mammal sightings in more detail:
Red Deer always prove popular with my safari clients. Being an iconic animal of the Scottish Highlands, the 'Monarch of the Glen' is on most visitors 'wish-lists', and we usually manage to see them regularly in large same-sex herds in upland glens this month, though views are usually quite distant, many of the stags have now lost their old fully-grown antlers, and look a little less impressive while they are growing a new set...
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| Red Deer |
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| Red Deer Stag - Photo from April 2023 |
Despite most of them now sporting their mottled white and blue-grey spring outfits, Mountain Hares usually seem to be the one to beat in our 'mammal of the day' awards in April - if we get to see them - far from guaranteed- as they certainly become tricky to find among the mottled white and blue-grey rocks of their upland homes!!
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| Mountain Hare - Photo from April 2023 |
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| Mountain Hare - Photo from April 2022 |
It should be noted though, although we sometimes get lucky with a chance close encounter, that most of our views are at range through my telescope, and that a closer view or photographic opportunity usually involves some considerable amount of rough uphill walking, sometimes on snow, yes, even in April!
Feral Mountain Goats too are only found in a few remote upland areas of the UK, and we are often fortunate enough to have good views of these wild looking, multi-coloured creatures, with the fast-growing youngsters now almost as big as the adults...
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| Feral Mountain Goats |
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| Feral Mountain Goats by Jan Shields - photo from April 2023 |
Seeing a Red Squirrel is always a treat, especially for those who don't have them locally - sadly, most UK residents - but we have good numbers here, and we were fortunate enough to see them regularly this month, sometimes at forest feeding stations, and sometimes running around or climbing trees...
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| Red Squirrel by Luke Vial |
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| Red Squirrel |
Roe Deer however, are common and numerous over most of the UK, but due to their nervous nature and crepuscular habits, they are rarely seen well unless you are out and about early or late, or in a really quiet place, well away from human disturbance..
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| Roe Deer |
As spring tends to arrive a little later this far north, where Brown Hares are concerned, we tend to get 'Mad April Hares' rather than 'Mad March Hares'' , and that proved to be the case this month, with lots of frisky behaviour being witnessed.
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| Mad April Hares |
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| Brown Hare |
As I mentioned earlier, both types of seal can be seen at the nearby Moray coast at a number of well known 'haul-out' sites. Please give them plenty of space though, and avoid disturbing them....
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| Seals at the Moray Coast |
Hairy Highland Coo's always prove to be popular with my safari clients, especially those who do not have them close to home, so don't be afraid to ask me if you fancy going to see them, and maybe even get to feed and 'pat' them, as I have a couple of great sites....
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| Carrot time for Murdo! |
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| Murdo the magnificent Hairy Highland Coo |
Rare/nocturnal mammals:
I get a few enquiries about the possibility of seeing Badgers and Pine Marten from my safari clients, many of whom I suspect are unaware that they are actually a largely nocturnal creature, and although we do get the occasional (maybe one or two a year) dawn glimpse of one, you would definitely have a much higher chance of seeing them at a specific dusk Badger/Pine Marten watching hide - Please contact me for more information.
Similarly, our inland Otters too are mainly active during the hours of darkness, and again, although we do get a few early-morning sightings on local lochs and rivers each year, looking for them feeding in a suitably quiet, kelp - filled bay on the coast on a rising tide, but at any time of day, would give you a much better chance.
Whilst we are still on the 'tricky to see stuff', the Scottish Wildcat too, as well as being incredibly rare now, is also generally nocturnal, and the fact that I have had a mere handful of (dawn or dusk) sightings in 17 years of providing wildlife safaris should give you an idea of how difficult they are to see.
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| Cute spring Lambs |
Marine mammals:
The Moray coast is pretty reliable for sightings of Seals of both types, with a decent chance of Harbour Porpoise and Dolphins, and, even a slim chance of Whales....
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| Bottlenose Dolphin - Photo from April 2015 |
Other wildlife:
Some of the warmer, sunnier days saw a few brave pioneering butterflies - Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma and Small White - on the wing, joining the increasing numbers of bees, the first activity this year was noted in the Wood Ant colonies, and a few Bats were seen hawking insects over water at dusk.
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| Wood Ants nest |
News:
I am very pleased to announce that Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris has recently been awarded - for the second consecutive year - a Travelers Choice accreditation from Trip Advisor, for being ranked in the top 10% of visitor attractions worldwide based on customer reviews and feedback.
This achievement would not have been possible without the support of all my family, friends, safari clients, social media followers, regular blog readers , the Visit Scotland 'mystery shoppers', and everyone else who has helped and encouraged me along the way to ‘living my dream’ of being a wildlife safari guide, since 2004, especially over the last few very difficult COVID affected years, so a big THANK YOU to you all :)
We have also recently upgraded our safari vehicle to a slightly newer Land Rover Discovery5 HSE LUX 7-seater, and this one has 7 heated seats, along with all the usual luxuries such as rear-seat entertainment DVD screens, a panoramic sunroof, and height-adjustable air suspension, and it is also more spacious and 'greener' than my previous versions with ultra-low emissions and better fuel economy....
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| My new(er) safari vehicle on it's 'debut' outing |
All tourism/hospitality/activities in Scotland are open , are free of restrictions and I have now completed well over two years of (thankfully!) increasingly busy and extremely enjoyable safaris with clients with no major issues arising.
With all national travel restrictions lifted too, Scotland is officially 'open for business' for visitors from all over the UK, and from abroad.
For those considering a visit, these wildlife/outdoor tourism websites may prove useful:
June - September is midge season - But thankfully, this area is not usually affected too badly - This link explains why:
Bumper midge hatch alert after warm spell - BBC News
https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid
NatureScot (outdooraccess-scotland.scot)
Can Nature Help Health? | Nature Prescriptions - YouTube
Scotland, Yours to Enjoy. Responsibly. - YouTube
Cairngorms National Park Authority
Highland Wildlife Park
Positive prescriptions | The RSPB
www.scotlandbigpicture.com
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| April is Daffodil month this far north |
COVID-19
The Scottish Highlands, being very sparsely populated, has had very few COVID-19 cases in comparison to most of the UK, and on my safaris we tend to visit remote , wild habitats well away from the more popular tourist areas, and usually have very little interaction with other people, and this is something that I intend to continue.
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| On safari in the Cairngorm Mountains |
Summary:
I apologise for repeating myself, but It is only when I have time to sit down and compile my monthly wildlife sightings blog and look back through my notes and the photos that I and my safari clients have taken during the month that I really become aware of what a great time we have had, appreciate how lucky I am to live and work here, and see how successful our safaris have been.... and it would appear that , despite the changeable, and occasionally demanding weather, April 2024 turned out to be a really excellent and very enjoyable month for wildlife watching in and around the Cairngorms National Park. With the returning summer visiting birds flooding northwards to join our local speciality resident species and a few lingering winter visiting birds, the dawn chorus, the days lengthening, flowers (finally!) blooming, the huge variety of unique and stunning scenery and the weather ( generally! ) improving, I can honestly say that I would not want to be anywhere else in the world than here in the majestic Scottish Highlands at this time of year, and it was especially nice this month to be able to show it all off, and spend time with lots of my valued regulars, and also a number of new safari clients from all round the world, who were visiting this area for the first time.......happy days!!
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| A wintery April morning on an upland moor |
Reviews:
I know a lot of visitors to this area very wisely check out reviews of attractions/experiences at TripAdvisor before 'taking the plunge' and booking - We now have well over 300 reviews online, so if you wish, you can check out our clients comments at the link below....
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186537-d3335134-Reviews-
Highland_Wildlife_Birdwatch_Safaris-Aviemore_Aviemore_and_the_Cairngorms_Scottish.html
Gift Certificates:
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Safari gift voucher
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If you think you know someone who may enjoy a taste of what I do, why not treat them to a safari gift certificate? They make a thoughtful and imaginative present, are available for any amount and are valid for a whole year from date of purchase........
